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The Dual Role of the Dual Immersion Educator:

Teacher of Content and Language

Greg Duncan interprep@earthlink.net

Dual language programs serve two functions

• teach regular grade level content• provide second language

acquisition opportunities

Why do parents choose to place their children in dual language programs?

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What does it mean to be proficient?

Government Academic Definition

(FSI) Scale (ACTFL/ETS) Scale

4+ Superior Able to speak the language with sufficient4 structural accuracy and vocabulary to participate3+ effectively in most formal and informal 3 conversations

5 Native Able to speak like an educated native speaker

2+ Advanced Plus Able to satisfy most work requirements and show

some ability to communicate on concrete topics

2 Advanced Able to satisfy routine social demands and

limited work requirements1+ Intermediate-High Able to satisfy most survival needs and limited

social demands

1 Intermediate-Mid Able to satisfy some survival needs and some limitedsocial demands

Intermediate-Low Able to satisfy basic survival needs and minimumcourtesy requirements

0+ Novice-High Able to satisfy needs with learned utterances

0 Novice-Mid Able to operate in only a very limited capacity

Novice-Low Unable to function in the spoken language

No ability whatsoever in the language

Source: Judith E. Liskin-Gasparro. ETS Oral Proficiency Testing Manual. Princeton, N.J.: Educational Testing Service, 1982.

Novice Speakers• Respond to simple questions on the most common features of

daily life

• Convey minimal meaning to interlocutors experienced at dealing with foreigners by using -isolated words -lists of words -memorized phrases -some personalized recombinations of words or phrases

• Satisfy only a very limited number of immediate needs

How accurate are Novice Speakers?

• Intelligibility

• Contextually appropriate responses

Intermediate Speakers• participate in simple, direct conversations

• describe & narrate

• ask and answer questions

• handle basic, uncomplicated communication needed in daily life (survival language)

• create with the language

• use discrete sentences and strings of sentences; can use sentence “connectors” #

How Accurate are Intermediate Speakers?

• Do better with interlocutors who are accustomed to non-native speakers of the language (more patient);

• Speak mostly in present tense but can sprinkle in past and future;

• Pronunciation, stress patterns, and grammar may all be flawed but there is sufficient accuracy for communication at the sentence level.

Intermediate Speakers• participate in simple, direct conversations

• describe & narrate

• ask and answer questions

• handle basic, uncomplicated communication needed in daily life (survival language)

• create with the language

• use discrete sentences and strings of sentences; can use sentence “connectors”

Advanced speakers . . .• participate actively in conversations in most formal and informal settings on concrete and factual topics of personal and public interest;

• narrate and describe in major time frames with good control;

• deal effectively with unanticipated complications through a variety of communicative devices;

• sustain communication by using, with suitable accuracy and confidence, connected discourse of paragraph length and substance;

• satisfy the demands of work and/or school situations.

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Superior speakers . . .

• can fundamentally do anything in their second language that they can do in their first language;

• speak in detail, hypothesize, handle unfamiliar topics and situations;

•evidence excellent control of grammar in every aspect except possible idiomatic usage;

•can produce linguistic subtlety and nuance.